P.

O Box 1258 3400 Carson Ct Camino, CA 95709

647-0910
MAY/JUNE 2012

Open Tues-Sat 9-5 Sun 10-4

ay/June Success Tips

1. Come in to our nursery and enjoy just spending a while exploring this time of year! You'll find many wonderful surprises, including flowers, edibles, and landscape plants and some that do all three! 2. Choose some of our tasty herbs to add home-grown flavor to your favorite dishes. Plant some of our medicinal herbs too. 3. Mulch around your plants to conserve water, reduce weeds, improve the soil, and make the area more attractive. We have several mulches perfect for different situationsask us. 4. Fertilize growing vegetables with Gardner & Bloome Natural & Organic Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer and flowers with Gardner & Bloome Natural & Organic Rose & Flower Food for a more prolific garden.

Vegetables and Flowers Galore!

Pplant, beans, corn, cucumbers, parsley, and melons. For those that
we have seedlings of, choose these rather than seedsthey are more reliable than the seeds and you'll be able to start harvesting vegetables much sooner. We also have an extravaganza of summer blooming annuals and perennials. Flowers such as cosmos, portulaca, verbena, vinca rosea, zinnias, and others are just some that thrive in hot weather. Plant now and enjoy a yard of flowers!

lant warm season vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, squash, egg-

Trees are Wonderful

ecide what kind of tree you need, then come in and we'll help you find the perfect one! Shade Trees: Shade trees should be planted at the southwest corner and along the west side of your home. Place them no closer than half their mature width from the house. These trees should be broad enough to provide summer shade. Background Trees: A background tree is planted in the backyard and should extend above the roofline when seen from the front yard. Select a tree with spreading or pyramid growth habits. Accent Trees: Use accent trees with colorful blossoms and/or foliage to draw a viewers eye toward an attractive front entryway or window, and away from unsightly gas meters, water pipes, and/or air conditioning units. Fruit Trees: Can be used for shade, background or as an accent, plus they have the added benefit of providing fresh and healthy food for your family!

Ihome with freshly-picked blooms from

your own garden! Think of it as a DIY projectgrow your favorite flowers that bloom in your most desired colors. The flowers that are easiest to use in floral designs are those with long and relatively strong stems, and a long vase life. Choose varieties in different shapes and colors. Some of the best sunflowers, lilies, include asters, zinnias, gaillardias, Shasta daisies, phlox, coreopsis, cosmos, penstemon, scabiosa, alstromeria, and of course roses. We have plants and/or seeds of these and many other excellent cut flowers. Tips: Group the plants with similar requirements for sun and water. Plant tall types together, away from where they might shade lower growing ones.

magine beautiful cut flowers in your

Plant a Cutting Garden!

Aerate Lawns to Save Water

f water runs off your lawn after a few minutes, it's time to aerate! Aerification relieves soil compaction, allows air to pass more freely (which stimulates root growth), reduces thatch, and allows more water and nutrients to enter the soil. Spiking the soil with a pitch fork does not relieve soil compaction. You need to REMOVE to " plugs that are 3 to 4 inches deep and about 4 inches apart (also called "coring"). Water to a depth of at least 8 inches (you will probably have to turn the water off and on a few times to avoid runoff) a couple of days before coring so that it's easy to core deeply. The proper tool for coring a small lawn is two hollow tubes on a stirrup, which you push into the soil using your foot. Rent a power corer if you have a large lawn. Rake the plugs of soil and use that soil elsewhere in your garden, or leave them on your lawn to gradually break down. Fertilize, then topdress with Gardner & Bloome Soil Building Compost.

Royal Garden in Judah

rcheologists recently excavated the 2,500 yearold royal Ramat Rachel garden above Jerusalem and have begun reconstructing it to its former blooming glory. This once luxurious garden was watered by a clever irrigation system which collected rain water and distributed it through underground tunnels, open channels, and stone-carved gutters. Elaborate pools and waterfalls served as a practical resource and added to the opulent ambience in this high desert region which is distant from bodies of water. Pollen samples trapped and preserved within plaster of the irrigation systems revealed evidence of native fruit trees, including olives and figs , plus grapevines and ornamental plants like water lilies. The advanced irrigation system provided water for willow and poplar trees, as well as imported citron, Persian walnut, birch, and the coveted cedar of Lebanon trees. Researchers conclude the exotic trees and ornamentals were imported by ancient rulers as a way to show off their power and prestige. Plus when the garden was built, being able to control waterespecially in the desertshowed ingenuity and political strength.

Intimate Backyard Entertaining

arge patios or multilevel decks are being replaced by smaller areas designed to provide a more intimate and relaxing environment for entertaining. Can you envision a small outdoor escape consisting of a few garden chairs or comfortable patio furniture around a crackling fire pit, small waterfall, or table? You can surround your special area with fragrant flowers (for personal enjoyment and/or aromatherapy), an enclosed rose or herb garden, or you can pick a theme that expresses your inner child, like a fairy garden. Once you have created the ambience you desire, share the joys of quiet conversation with loved ones and good friends!

Spring Fruit Squares

1 pkg (about 16 oz) pre-made refrigerated sugar cookie dough 1 pkg (8oz) soft cream cheese 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 tsp vanilla Individual or assorted fruits such as berries, kiwi, tangerine or mandarin segments, etc. 1/4 cup apricot preserves 2 Tbsp water

Lady Bug Trivia

any of us fondly remember chanting the Nursery Rhyme "Ladybug, Ladybug fly away home, your house is on fire and your children are gone. . ." when we found a ladybug. Have you ever wondered why? The rhyme originated in Britain, where the beloved beetle is called "Ladybird." Children may have learned the rhyme from farmers who would recite it to warn the helpful insect to fly away before field burning after a harvest. Historians speculate that this Nursery Rhyme originated from the time of the Great Fire of London in 1666. More Fun Ladybug Facts Out of the 5,000 types of ladybugs, 450 species live in North America. The life stages of the ladybug are: egg larva pupa adult. Ladybug larvae can eat about 25 aphids a day; while adults can eat over 50. Ladybugs chew side to side instead of up and down like humans. Ladybugs can supplement their aphid diet with whitefly, mealybugs, mites, and scale insects; but they are completely harmless to humans.

Follow label directions for removing the dough from the wrapper. Preheat oven to 350 0. Press dough evenly into a 13x9 baking pan and bake for 12-18 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Cool completely. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, blend together cream cheese and vanilla, gradually blending in the sugar. Spread onto cooled cookie crust, and arrange fruit on top. (Slice any larger fruits. It is best that your fruit is drybe sure to pre-drain any extra juice if needed.) In a small bowl, combine preserves and water, then brush over fruit. Refrigerate until chilled, cut into squares, serve, and watch them disappear!

Veggies for a Family of Four

ome-grown vegetables taste so good, you'll want to grow plentybut not so many that you have to ship them off to market to sell! It can be difficult to know the exact number of vegetable plants you'll need to feed your family, so here are some suggestions for a family of four. Plant 4 of the following: sweet bell peppers (more if you love roasted red peppers!), eggplants, summer squash, cucumbers, Swiss chard, and tomatoes (choose several varieties). Plant at least 12 corn plants (in a square to promote pollination). When planting seeds for vegetables like lettuce, carrots, beets, radishes and snow peas, measure by the length of a row, following packet directions. It's always a good idea to plant a few extras because not every plant survives, and it's fun to trade homegrown produce with your neighbors, or donate it to a local food bank. And remember to make successive plantings to have fresh vegetables over a longer period. If you purchase one of our vegetable 6-packs and only have space for four plants, put the two extras in the front yard among ornamental plants.

The Home Gardeners Newsletter is written specially for our valued customers by Dr. Wayne S. Moore and Carolyn Kallander. Please enjoy it and then pass it on to a friend! Copyright Moore Consulting, 2012. All rights reserved.